Measuring engagement: An institution-wide implementation of learning analytics to increase retention

To address the ever more complex issues of student engagement, retention and success, CQUniversity has developed and implemented a learning analytics system. The EASI system was implemented in 2014, and by 2016 had been used to facilitate interactions with over 78% of students. As an optional tool for academics, the uptake is indicative of the value of the system and its perceived usefulness by staff. A more compelling metric is student engagement, where heightened Moodle activity is statistically linked to interventions directed from the EASI system. The challenges of EASI’s implementation included both design and organisational issues, and have resulted in a number of lessons for other higher education institutions following a similar path. These lessons include a bottom-up approach; working with academics; and considerations of ethics and privacy.